Of Dicks And Dames
by DetectiveKateBeckettCastle
Summary: AU. It's 1947 in New York City. When Vera McQueen  Beckett  overhears a mobster's plan, she calls Joe Calloway, a PI, & they quickly fall for each other. Can they escape the mobster's wrath & win true love? Based on The Blue Butterfly.


Of Dicks and Dames  
>A Castle Fanfiction by S.K. Knight<p>

**A/N: I wrote this as an assignment for Journalism class. This is an AU fic and it is based on the episode entitled "The Blue Butterfly" in which Castle finds a journal of a PI that links a current murder to 1947. Castle then dreams that he & Beckett are in the 1940s. I have decided to just write a story containing the characters Castle dreamed up but in my own situation. At the time I wrote this, there were some characters that I did not know names for or last names for, so I made them up. I knew first names for Kate & Castle's characters but only Kate's character's last name & a first and last name for Lanie & a last name for the mobster. I do not know any other character's names so I made them them up.**

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle

Characters:

Vera McQueen: Kate Beckett  
>Joe Calloway: Richard Castle<br>Patrick O'Malley: Kevin Ryan  
>Miguel Gonzalez: Javier Esposito<br>James Dempsey: Josh Davidson  
>Victoria Calloway: Alexis Castle<br>Betsy Sinclair: Lanie Parish

* * *

><p><em>The Penny Baker Club, New York City, 1947<em>

Vera McQueen sat on the bar of her deserted nightclub, listening to her boyfriend, big time mobster, Dempsey; concoct another jewel heist with his loyal flunkies: Miguel Gonzalez and Patrick O'Malley.  
>"Hey, boss? Aren't you afraid she'll squeal?" O'Malley asked, indicating Vera.<br>Dempsey chuckled. "You wouldn't squeal on me, would ya, doll?"  
>Vera shook her head. "Not a chance."<br>Dempsey smiled. "See? She's head over heels."  
>"Yeah, yeah, she is." The boys agreed as Vera slipped off the bar and let Dempsey draw her in for a long kiss.<br>"See ya later tonight, babe. I got some…business that needs takin' care of." Dempsey said, getting up and coming closer to her.  
>"That business wouldn't be that heist now, would it?" she asked with a smile.<br>Dempsey put a finger to her lips and smiled. "Shhh."  
>With that, Dempsey and his henchmen left the club, and Vera looked around and made her way to the phone.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Calloway Private Investigative Services, New York City, 1947<em>

The desk phone rang on Joe Calloway's desk just as he was coming back to his office. He made his way to it and picked it up. The TV was on, and reporting something about a massive jewel heist and he delayed answering it for a moment and listened.  
>When he did answer, he said, "Calloway Private Investigative Services, this is Joe Calloway."<br>The woman swallowed and said, "That jewel heist on TV? I know who did it."  
>"Who?" Calloway asked the woman on the phone.<br>"Not like this, he might be listening." She warned.  
>"Where can we talk?" he questioned.<br>"Come to The Penny Baker Club at 8:00 sharp tomorrow night."  
>"Ok, thank you."<br>"You're welcome."  
>When Joe hung up, his mind was buzzing with questions: <em>Who was she? Who committed the heist? How did she know? <em>Joe's musings were interrupted by his teenage daughter, Victoria, whom he had from his previous marriage.  
>"Daddy? May I please go to Elisabeth's party tonight?"<br>"Sure, honey, of course you can. Just be home by ten."  
>"Ten? That's one whole hour more than usual! Thank you, Daddy! Oh, thank you!" she responded, hugging him in her classy satin dress.<br>"You're welcome, sweetheart."  
>Soon, she disappeared through his office door and left him to his musings.<p>

* * *

><p><em>The Penny Baker Club, New York City, 1947<em>

Joe entered his favorite nightclub the next night and made his way up to the bar.  
>"I'll have vodka on the rocks." Joe told his favorite barkeep, Tommy.<br>"You got it, Joe." Tommy said and poured him a glass, which Joe promptly drank.  
>"Thanks, Tom." Joe responded.<br>Tom took the glass away and refilled. "What brings you here?"  
>Joe drained the second glass. "A dame."<br>Tommy looked up from the glass he was cleaning, "A dame? Hope you don't mean Vera McQueen. That's Dempsey's girl and he'll pop your cork off if you go after her."  
>"I'm not sure," Joe furrowed his eyebrows, and "she called me."<br>"I think I got a pretty good guess who your mystery dame is." Tom said, nodding his head toward Vera, who was standing in the shadows in a fur shawl and dark blue silk evening gown. She wore her hair in brown curls. Joe turned and made eye contact with Vera and his first thought was: _Wow, she's a gorgeous woman._ They both held the stare for a long moment. Joe made his way toward her and she led him into her office, locking the door.  
>"Ms. McQueen, I take it?"<br>"That's me. Are you the investigator?"  
>"That would be me, Joe Calloway, how can I help you?"<br>"You know that heist the TV was talking about?"  
>"Yes, they were goin' on about it last night."<br>"Well, I know who did it," she cast a nervous glance around her office, "he'd kill me if I told you."  
>Joe leaned forward. "I can protect you, Ms. McQueen, from whoever it is."<br>"No," she whispered, "you can't, Mr. Calloway. It took me twenty minutes just to ditch the bozos that work for him. With this thing around my neck, they watch me like a hawk."  
>"The necklace? Did the same guy who committed this heist give you that pretty chunk of change?" he asked, eyeing her extravagant diamond butterfly necklace.<br>Vera nodded. "Yes."  
>"Who is he?" Joe asked.<br>"His name is James…James Dempsey."  
>"James Dempsey? <em>The<em> James Dempsey? The very same James Dempsey that ordered the hit on Nick Palamero?"  
>"That's the one."<br>"Thank you."  
>"No, thank you."<br>Vera and Joe exited her office and attempted to sneak out to the club unnoticed but they didn't notice O'Malley and Gonzalez watching them.

* * *

><p><em>Abandoned Bar, New York City, 1947<em>

The next night, O'Malley and Gonzalez went to their boss's hideout.  
>"What do you want?" Dempsey questioned, leaning back in his chair.<br>"Your girl's cheatin' on ya, boss." O'Malley informed him  
>Dempsey sat up with a start. "Vera? <em>My<em> Vera?"  
>" Yes, I'm sorry, <em>jeffe, <em>we saw her with some _hombre _sneaking back into the club. He had a fedora on." Gonzalez added  
>"Find out who this guy is and give him a little warning about what happens when you mess with my girl." Dempsey ordered.<br>"You got it, boss." both henchmen said in unison and they left vowing to show this guy what it was like when someone messed with their boss's girl.

* * *

><p><em>The Penny Baker Club, New York City, 1947<em>

Vera McQueen pulled her best friend, Betsy Sinclair, by the arm when she got off the stage that night.  
>"Vera, what is the matter, girl? You look like you've seen a ghost." Betsy commented.<br>"I called a PI, about Dempsey's jewel heist." Vera confessed without ceremony.  
>Betsy looked shocked. "You did what? Girl, you must have a death wish and I think your guy is here again. I saw him hangin' around the bar."<br>Now, it was Vera's turn to look shocked. "He's what?"  
>"Looking…for you." Betsy repeated, slower.<br>"If Dempsey finds out I talked to him…" Vera started, willing herself not to finish it. It was then that Vera realized she was in love with Joe Calloway and she wasn't about to let Dempsey hurt him.  
>"He'll fry you both to a crisp?" Betsy offered.<br>"Betsy, it gets worse…I think I'm in love with him." Vera admitted.  
>"Oh, you're in it deep now, girl." Betsy warned her.<br>"I know, I just wanna get away from Dempsey, from all of it." Vera said.  
>"Just go talk to this guy, Vera, but watch your step. Dempsey's goons are everywhere." Betsy advised.<br>"Thank you, Betsy." Vera told her.  
>Betsy nodded. "I hope this guy is worth it."<br>Vera smiled. "He is."  
>Vera found Joe by the bar and pulled him aside where no one could see. "What are you doing here?"<br>"Protecting you. I'm not gonna let him hurt you, Vera." Joe insisted.  
>"That's sweet, Joe, but I don't want us both to die…I think I'm in love with you." She replied.<br>"Really? I think…I am too." He told her.  
>Vera stared at him for a long moment and they leaned in.<br>"Aha! Caught in the act!" O'Malley sneered.  
>"It's not what it looks like. " Vera insisted.<br>"Oh, I beg to differ, _chica. _ He is a PI, is he not? You told him of Dempsey's plan and now you are being unfaithful. The boss doesn't like this. Excuse us while we teach him a lesson." Gonzalez said, as he and O'Malley dragged him away outside the club, where their boss was waiting.  
>"Is this the sorry piece of garbage that's been sneakin' around with my girl?" Dempsey questioned.<br>O'Malley held tight to Joe's arm. "This is him, boss. Your lass over there squealed on ya. He's a PI."  
>Dempsey looked angry. "I knew that dame was no good, I should 'a gotten rid o' her months ago." He walked closer to Joe. "I hate cops; you know that, especially cops that steal my girl. That's why you gotta go." Dempsey said, pulling out a gun and aiming it at Joe. At that moment, Vera walked out.<br>"No, James, don't do this." She told him.  
>"Give me one reason why I shouldn't blow his brains out and yours, too?" Dempsey asked.<br>Vera rushed forward before Dempsey's goons could stop her. Time seemed to stop as Vera and Dempsey wrestled with the gun while Joe and Dempsey's flunkies' looked on. Suddenly, a shot rang out and Dempsey crumpled. Vera turned to see Betsy Sinclair standing there, gun in her hand. Vera stood, shocked. The goons quickly dropped Joe's arms and raced away. When Vera looked at Betsy for explanation, Betsy just nodded.  
>"Go," she urged, "You two deserve to be together."<br>"Thank you." Vera said, knowing there was nothing she could do. With that, her and Joe left, leaving Betsy alone.

* * *

><p><em>A few months later…<em>

_The Penny Baker Club, New York City, 1947_

Vera and Joe never saw Betsy again after what she did for them that night outside the club. There were whispers she had gotten a life sentence, though they never found out. They were grateful for her selflessness but felt horrible for her incarceration. That night, Vera and Joe were watching the events of the club when Joe took Vera's hand. "Vera McQueen," he whispered, getting down on one knee and taking out a ring box, "will you marry me?" It took Vera only a second to smile and reply with a whispered, "Yes." Joe smiled and took her hand, slipping the ring on her finger and kissing her. Despite everything they'd been through, they were glad they finally made it…together, forever and always.


End file.
